The ‘Julampitiya Amare’ Saga – latest developments

Geeganagamage Amarasiri alias Julampitiya Amare surrendered to the Tangalle High Courst through his attorney on Tuesday, June 19^th 2012. If you saw how nattily dressed he was in a new pair of sneakers, you would wonder how he got there, and what promises had been made for his to come in so casually and nonchalantly. 

He is one of the people who is suspected to have been involved in the Katuwana killing of two people at a JVP pocket meeting a few days ago, which the Government (through their spokesman, MCNS Director General) alledged as an internal turf war of the JVP, but who had apparently been identified by people at the scene.

It must be said that the accused surrendered for different crimes, he is accused of numerous murders, and not for this particular killing! The police chief had detailed the crimes he was accused of at the press conference, but had said rather ridiculously that until they receive sufficient evidence of his complicity they WILL NOT seek his arrest.

The latter is the state of the police, where they will not arrest suspected criminals if they are not accused in the latest crime!! They should have arrested him a long time ago for the litany of crimes, not having to wait for this incident to find evidence to connect him to this crime, surely.

Either way this whole saga further erodes the credibility of the police, and observing the brazen way of his surrender smacks of political patronage. Anyone of sound mind will know that a government sponsored goon will be safer within than without, and would have been given promises of leniency by the higher-ups, if he surrendered. It will look good on his file too. He will not be beaten up inside for confessions.

The usual formula for underworld figures not under government protection is to report that they were killed whilst attempting to flee the scene of a crime, when they were taken to the crime scene to give the authorities an explanation of what occurred.

The police have 24 hours within which to charge him, and it will be interesting to see which crime he will be accused of from a long list that he is suspected of. I rather think it will be on some misdemeanor so that justice will be seen to be done, whereas the real crimes will be swept under the carpet, as is always the case with state sponsored terror. Sadly this is a typical example of banana republic law and order!!!